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This Seven-Year-Old Cancer Survivor Singing The National Anthem Before Clippers-Grizzlies Might Be The Best Thing You’ll See Today

Sure, what transpired on the court last night between the Clippers and Grizzlies was a sight to behold, if not downright history-making, but one could make a strong case that the coolest thing to happen all night came before the teams even took the floor. Ellen Taylor is seven years old – and also happens to be a survivor of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. She was treated at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis (where the Grizzlies have been known to appear)… and these days is doing well enough to sing the national anthem before an NBA playoff game, which she did before Grizzlies-Clippers last night. Inside the NBA had some video of the performance:

And she was pretty good. I can’t imagine getting up in front of that many people – or any people, really – and singing the national anthem, an especially pressure-packed song because, well, it’s the anthem, now. When I was seven? Forget it. But I guess when you’ve dealt with something way more difficult than sing a song in front of a crowd, it takes the pressure off. To everyone involved here: hell of a job.

Video by CJ Fogler.